Here’s a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 performance and settings guide I hope gets out of date really fast

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Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/GSC Game World

I’ll stand by my review when I say that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 : Heart of Chornobyl is worth playing, in spite of it the many and varied ways in which it’s utterly broken. To be clear, though, it is utterly broken, in many and varied ways .

That makes my usual new-game performance analysis/settings guide song and dance harder to pull off, with or without the appropriate soundtrack . Is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 in such dire technical straits that we should wait for a few patches before giving it a shake? And how can its best settings be anointed if some, particularly FSR 3 frame generation, simply don’t work as they should?

On balance, though, it probably is best to give an account of Heart of Chornobyl’s PC performin’ state as it comes, here and now. It’s already doing pretty well in the Steam charts and there’s likely many more playing via Game Pass, so that’s a lot of suffering stalkers who might be looking to get their framerates out of the rusty doldrums. Below, you’ll find my best attempt at something approaching advice, with the caveat that I would very much like it if GSC pumped out those fixes/improvements and left this whole article about as relevant and useful as a 20-year-old pot of radioactive borscht. Go on GSC, make me look dumb. Do it. Do it .

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/GSC Game World

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl system requirements and PC performance

First, let us remind ourselves of the hardware requirements, which were updated shortly before S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s November 20 launch.

Image credit:GSC Game World

To summarise: crikey. The GTX 1060 and RX 580 showing up in the minimum section isn’t out of the ordinary for modern hi-fidelity games, but with the likes of the Core i7-9700K in the Medium tier and the RTX 4070 as a recommended GPU, Heart of Chornobyl was clearly never going to be an everyman’s survival FPS. The vastness of its weirded-out open world is also reflected in that gigantic 160GB SSD storage requirement.

Thing is, you could try to get by on minimum specs or you could return from the future with some fridge-sized RTX 8000; no matter your kit, you’re still going to be subject to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s wonkiness. I did a full main story playthrough on an RTX 3090 and still had to run a gauntlet of flashing textures, occasional crashes, or one-off oddities, like the cutscene that inexplicably ran at about 15fps (and subsequently killed general game performance until I restarted). There’s also plenty of textbook Unreal Engine 5 stuttering, despite the game insisting on a shader compilation every time you boot it, and even when nothing is actively on fire, there’s still going to be serious inconsistency with how S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 runs. In the sense that a rig that pumps out 60-70fps out in a field will drop to 30-40fps in a busy settlement.

I chose one of these trading hubs as a benchmarking test ground, as it would give the best indication of whether certain hardware really could handle the heat. Some good news did emerge: the GTX 1060 could indeed make do at 1080p, averaging 33fps on the Low preset with some help from FSR in Performance mode. My entry-level gaming laptop, with an RTX 4050 , initially fell short, scoring 23fps on Low with Quality-level DLSS – but this shot up to 48fps after enabling DLSS 3’s frame gen , which S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 supports on all RTX 40 series cards.

Oddly, however, swapping in more capable components only raised concerns. The usually nimble RTX 4060 could only barely cope with the Epic preset at native 1080p, averaging 33fps, and worse, dropping all the way to Low only bumped that up to 45fps. That ain’t good for any hopes of teasing big performance improvements out of the quality settings.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/GSC Game World

Up at 1440p, the RTX 3070 underperformed, just scraping 32fps on Epic with DLSS on Quality. Dropping to High also didn’t help much, only nudging that up to 38fps, and nor did reducing DLSS to Balanced mode – back on Epic that only got me 34fps, a mere 2fps uptick.

In general, the upscaling options – DLSS, FSR, TSR, and TAA – all do less than you’ve probably come to expect them to. DLSS 3 frame gen is more helpful, nearly doubling the RTX 4060’s 1080p/Epic result to 61fps, but it does add a touch of input lag even with the latency-cutting Nvidia Reflex enabled. Worse, I couldn’t get FSR 3’s own frame generation to work at all on modern graphics cards, and while it could on the GTX 1060, the results were blurry-looking and made sluggish by even more input lag than DLSS 3.

The Steam Deck ? Forget it – S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 doesn’t even seem to acknowledge its inputs, making it impossible to get past the EULA. That might be for the best, though. I suspect actually trying to run the game would kill the Deck’s widdle APU on the spot.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/GSC Game World

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl best settings guide

Let’s not bother with running through every single quality setting here; when the difference between Epic and Low is as little as 12fps, you can guess how most of the 25-odd individual settings won’t have any real impact on performance. I did test them all, on the RTX 4060, and found a few that can contribute the extra frame or two here and there, so you could try the following combination to beat Epic-level performance without making unnecessary cuts. Just don’t expect to reach much higher than that without DLSS 3 support; like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 , S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is the kind of game that mainly expects you to take the framerates you’re given.

• Texture quality: Medium
• Hair: Medium
• Object details: Medium
• Effects details: Medium
• Materials: Medium
• Upscaling method/Upscaling quality: DLSS on Balanced, or TSR on Ultra Quality
• Fog: Medium
• Foliage quality: Low
• Everything else: Epic preset equivalent

On my RTX 4060, this combination averaged 39fps, which is just 1fps faster than the High preset and 4fps slower than Medium. Which doesn’t sound like much of an improvement, but I found thIS combination produced less noticeable framerate drops and stuttering than High, while maintaining more of the Epic preset’s visual luxuries than Medium does.

Really, though, hammering any serious performance boost out of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 comes down to one issue: does your PC support DLSS 3? If so, do try that out; adding it to the above settings sent that 39fps up to 78fps, which is much more becoming of the RTX 4060. If not, well, better hope for a miracle in those patches. I can’t really endorse FSR 3 frame gen as an alternative – even when it works, it’s offputtingly blurry, and the amount of input lag it adds could very easily muck up the flow of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s tense, corner-peeking gunfights. In fact, even basic FSR upscaling is awash with messed-up detailing, especially at far distances, hence why I’ve gone for the engine’s built-in TSR upscaler as an alternative for non-RTX systems.

I think S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 can and should succeed while carrying a degree of jank. Indeed, historically that’s been one of the series’ defining, uh, qualities. But stuff like DLSS barely adding any frames, or cutscenes breaking performance, is both lacking in that overambitious charm and, crucially, fixable. Here’s hoping for some tangible updates, and that the only headaches that come from playing this game are the ones caused by leather-skinned psi mutants trying to reverse-sear our brains.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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